291 



almost as long as the sum of the four last segments, fïngers a little longer than the palm. 

 The third legs closely resemble those of Syn. pachymeris Cout. (H. Coutière, Alpheidae Mald. 

 and Lacc. Archip. 1905, PI. LXXI, Fig. 9^). The relative dimensions are: merus 3-, carpus 1 ; 

 propodus 1,84 and the merus is 1,62-times as long as the propodus. Merus 3,4-times longer 

 than wide, armed on the distal half of the posterior margin with e i g h t movable, slender 

 spinules and with several setae ; between the third spinule and the carpal articulation the posterior 

 margin is divided into an outer and an inner portion, the fourth to eighth spinules occur on the 

 inner, while the outer portion is setiferous; the five larger spinules are 0,15 — 0,2 mm. long. 

 Propodus 4,3-times longer than wide, with eight spinules that are of a somewhat stouter 

 form than those of the merus and 0,13 — 0,15 mm. long. Dactylus small, one-seventh the 

 length of the propodus and twice as long as broad; ventral hook one and a half as long 

 as broad at its base, its anterior margin almost perpendicular to the posterior border of the 

 dactylus, dorsal hook one and a half as long as the other, notch between both hooks concave 

 at the base. 



Merus of fourth legs unarmed. 



Length 12,5 mm. 



f 39. Synalpheus neptunus (Dana). 



Alpheus neptunus J. D. Dana, U.S. Explor. Exped. Crustacea, p. 553, PI. 35, Fig. 5<z. 

 Synalpheus neptunus H. Coutière, Alpheidae Mald. and Laccad. Archip. 1905, p. 876 (passim) 

 and in: Proc. U.S. Nat. Museum, Vol. XXXVI, 1909, p. 88 (passim). 



Stat. 43. April 4 ; 5- Anchorage oft' Pulu Sarassa, Postillon-islands. Depth up to 36 m. Coral. 



3 young specimens. 

 Stat. 49\ April 14. 8°23'.5S., H9°4'.6E. Sapeh-Strait. 70 m. Coral and shells. 1 male of 



medium size. 

 Stat. 133. July 25/27. Anchorage oft" Lirung, Salibabu-island. Depth up to 56 m. Mud and 



hard sand. 4 young specimens. 

 Stat. 162. August 18. Between Loslos and Broken-islands, West coast of Salawatti. 18 m. 



Coarse and fine sand with clay and shells. 1 young specimen. 

 Stat. 282. January 15/17. 8°25'.2S., I27°i8'.4E. Anchorage between Nusa Besi and the N.E.- 



point of Timor. 27 — 54 m. Sand, coral and Lithothamnion. 1 young specimen. 

 Stat. 301. January 30 — February 1. io°38'S., I23°25'.2E. Pepela-bay, East coast of Rotti- 



island. 18 — 45 m. Mud, coral and Lithothamnion. 1 young specimen. 



Professor Coutière had the occasion to study two type specimens of Alpheus neptunus 

 Dana from the Sulu Sea, so that it is possible at present to determine with certainty this 

 species which during half a century has been misunderstood. According to Dana, S. neptunus 

 should attain the length of 8 — 9 lines, the largest of our specimens is the male, long 12 mm., 

 from Stat. 49 a . In this specimen the rostrum and the lateral spines, like also the two peduncles 

 with their spines and appendages accord with the figure 53 a in Coutière's quoted paper of 1909, 

 but the scale of the scaphocerite reaches to the distal third part of the median antennular 

 article and the spine of the basicerite, though longer than the basal antennular article, is 

 distinctly shorter than the scale. The stylocerite does not yet reach to the distal extremity 

 of the outer margin of the basal article; when measured in the middle of the upper side, the 



iS9 



